Illuminable sign having removable lamp and socket units



Dec. 9, 1952 c, pw 2,620,580

ILLUMINABLE SIGN HAVING REMOVABLE LAMP AND SOCKET UNIT Filed April 11, 1949 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 W Vi u 2 56 50 54 40 v INVENTOR.

dfiar/es L. flow/77a F I j 'TORN Dec. 9, 1952 c. L. DWINELL 2,620,580

ILLUMINABLE SIGN HAVING REMOVABLE LAMP AND SOCKET UNIT v Filed April 11, 1949 2 swam-4mm 2 EWW INVENTOR. Char/e5 L. fiW//76// A770 NEK 3 is but slightly less than the over-all length of the tracks 30 and 32. Carrier 42 is H-shaped in cross-section and includes a pair of spacedapart U-shaped members 44 and 46 that are formed and disposed relatively in the same manner as the sections 34 and 36 of tracks 30 and 32.

The members 44 and 46 are held in spaced apart relationship through the medium of a pair of spaced plates 48 and 50. The plates 48 and 50 are secured directly to the outermost faces of the members 44 and. 46 in the manner shown in Figs. 3 and 5. Carrier 42 is designed to be slidably positioned within the corresponding tracks 36 and 32. To this end, the distance between the inner faces of the legs of each of the members 44 and 46, is slightly greater than the distance between the outer faces of the legs of the two sections 34 and 36. By the same token, the distance between the inner faces of the bights of members 44 and 46 is less than the distance between the outer faces of the bights of sections 34 and 36. Consequently, the carrier 42 is complementary with the track 36 or 32, as the case may be, in the manner shown in Fig. 3 and is freely slidable to and from a position between the sections 34 and 36.

Each of the plates 48 and 56 carries a pair of spaced-apart fixtures 52 and .54 of conventional character for supporting and establishing electrical connection with an elongated fluorescent tube or like cold light lamp 56.

The ballast, starter and other fixtures necessary or desired to be used with the lamps 56 have not been illustrated in the drawing, but the same may well be positioned within the carriers 42 t between the bights of members 44 and 46 if desired. Furthermore, the electrical connections for all of the lamps 56 have not been illustrated and since the same may be of conventional character, the particular disposition and manner of connection with lamps 56 is of no importance to this invention. Inasmuch as the diameters of the lamps 56, the width of the fixtures 52 and 54 and the widths of the plates 48 and 50 are all less than the width of opening 20 within the frame !6, the entire carrier unit 42 may be easily moved to and from a position supported by the tracks 36 and 32.

All of the component parts of the sign structure thus far described and including frame 16,

tracks 39 and 32 and the carriers 42, are mounted within a hollow body broadly designated by the numeral Body 51 includes a rim-like shell 58 that completely circumscribes the frame and consequently, the tracks 36 and 32 because of the fact that frame i6 is disposed in circumscribing relationship to tracks and 32. The shell 58 is arcuate in cross-section as most clearly illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawing and includes a number of sections. A pair of sections 66 and 62 extend along the upper and lowermost stretches respectively of the frame 10; a pair of sections 64 and 66 extend along the side stretches of frame 16 and four corner sections 68 of the shell 53 are formed arcuately to conform with the arcuate corners 24 of frame 16.

All of the sections 60, 62, 64, 66 and 68 are in abutting relationship to present the continuous shell 58.

All of the aforesaid sections of the shell 66 are held in position circumscribing the frame lil through the medium of a pair of panels 16 and 12, which, with shell 56, completes body 51. The

two panels 10 and 12 are cup-shaped and are provided with an out-turned peripheral flange 14. The shell 58 is provided with continuous channels 16 and 18 for receiving the flanges 14 of the panels 10 and '12 in the manner illustrated in Fig. 4.

A U-shaped, resilient sealing member '80 is fitted around the flanges 14 and a plurality of bolts or the like 82 passing through the shell 58 and the channel 16 or 18, as the case may be, serve to releasably interconnect shell 53 with the panels 10 and I2.

Suitable indicia 84 is embossed within each of the panels 10 and T2 and it is contemplated that such indicia 84 may be of a color differing from the remaining areas of the panels '10 and 12 whereby to distinctivel set out the message to be conveyed when lamps 56 are lighted. To this end, panels 10 and 12 may be made of a suitable transparent or translucent plastic and coatings of opaque and semi-opaque materials might well be applied thereto in any of the usual manners. At least one end of the shell 58, and in the instance illustrated, the section 64 thereof has an access opening 86 that registers with opening 20 and is covered by a louvered gate 88.

Screws or the like removably hold the gate 88 in place and upon removal of the latter, the carriers 42 and the lamps 56 carried thereby, may be easily'removed and replaced with respect to body 51 as desired.

Any suitable structure not shown, may be utilized to mount the entire sign depending upon the type of mounting that is to be used.

While only one form of my present invention has been illustrated and described, it is apparent that the same is capable of many changes and modifications and those that fairly come within the scope of the appended claims, are contemplated hereby.

Having thus described my invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. An illuminable sign comprising a polygonal frame including a pair of spaced-apart, parallel, continuous loops; a pair of spaced, elongated, parallel tracks mounted in the frame, there being a track secured to each loop respectively; a lamp carrier including an elongated member insertable between the loopsand slidably disposed between the tracks, said carrier having parts in overlying and underlying, sliding engagement with the tracks; a lamp mounted on the carrier; and a hollow body mounted on the frame and enclosing the frame, the carrier, the lamp and the tracks.

2. The invention as set forth in claim 1 wherein said body includes a continuous shell circumscribing the loops and having opposed, continuous, inturned flanges; anda dish-shaped, translucent panel secured to each flange respectively.

CHARLES L. 'DWINELL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent: V

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,550,001 'Reininger Aug. 16, 1925 2,076,081 Gottlieb Apr. 6, 1937 2,165,550 Howenstine July ll, 1939 2,239,343 Rumbaugh Apr. 22, 1941 2,527,679 Krueger 0ctf31, 1950 

